Along with Chinn, Eric Stokes and Lonnie Johnson Jr. add veteran presence and leadership to the secondary. Stokes, a 2021 first-round pick, had a remarkable rookie season with the Green Bay Packers where he notched 14 pass deflections. However, over his next two seasons, he missed 22 games due to various injuries. He’s coming off his first NFL season in which he appeared in all 17 games, totaling 29 solo tackles as the Packers went 11-6.
Johnson is looking to regain a role in the defensive rotation after spending his last three seasons largely in a special teams role. In his first three career years with the Houston Texans, he converted over from cornerback to safety, recording 13 pass deflections and three interceptions in that span. Coming to the Raiders, he reunites with defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson, who coached him with the New Orleans Saints in 2023.
The team also spent draft capital to improve the secondary, selecting Darien Porter in the fourth round out of Iowa State. Porter is still relatively new to playing the cornerback position, having played wide receiver up until his junior season of college. Like Chinn, Porter’s physical traits align with Carroll’s vision for his secondary as the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder ran a 4.30 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He caught three interceptions in 2024.
“I love the pick, I love the guy. I think he has a lot of physical gifts,” Robertson said. “He’s got the length, the speed. He is taking, to me, big leaps from one week to the next as far as the coaching and the training and all those types of things. … He’s got a chance to be a really good player.”
Three undrafted rookie free agents were also signed: Mello Dotson from Kansas and John Humphrey and Greedy Vance who were teammates at USC. Dotson was a First-Team All-Big 12 selection, leading the conference in interceptions (five) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (two).
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